Syndicate
by Austin Smith
Summary: This is the story of a group of crew/colonist abroad Aegis VII and on the USG Ishimura. See how a group of people band together to face the coming nightmare and to uncover the great mysterious properties this far world hold. Lines will be drawn and bonds will be broken, some may be strengthened. Maybe some will survive this epic prelude to the hit game Dead Space.
1. Chapter 1

Aboard the_ USG Ishimura_

Austin woke with a quick jolt. As he sat up and silenced his alarm he rubs his hands slowly down his grizzled face. So much for getting up early. He thought about shaving but he decided maybe another day. He hadn't had a bread grown out in some time, he might grow it out a bit. He made his way to the bathroom he ran his fingers through his long, curly blonde hair and yawned. He never really liked shocking it messed with him, it didn't help there was something else in the air even though, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Austin's bags under his eyes were getting darker. He opened the mirror cabinet an retrieved his tooth brush and tooth paste. As he shut the cabinet he realized he looked old for a 32 year old, but hey he isn't trying to impress anyone. He rinsed his tooth paste and was startled by rapping on the door. "**Hurry up you lazy fuck**." yelled John, "**Lets get some grub before the ship us off to this rock. Stef and Oscar are already waiting there for us, so try to move with a little haste, eh?**"With hands clasped on the edges of the sink Austin said "**Alright, Alright I'm coming.**" He waltzed over to his dresser and slipped on a green shirt over his palish body and snapped on his watch. Shook his hand threw his hair and muttered "**Good enough.**"

Austin walked down the corridors of the ship passing filled with busy people making preparations to start the operation. He walked into the large cafeteria and was flagged down by Zach, John, Stef, Oscar and Joe. Austin waved back and got his food from the line, sausage gravy and biscuits. someone must of been having a good day to serve this. Austin sat down in between John and Stef, Oscar and Joe sat across from them. Zach bellowed, "**There's the faggot**." "**Yeah right Zach, we all know you are the guy who sits in his cabin and hope a pretty lady walks by and takes pity on you**.", said Austin with a grin across his face. Stef snapped her attention to Austin and said "**Hey just cause you got a little something something back home doesn't mean you can bash him**." ,With her big smile she turned back and began to eat her food. Austin looked over at Oscar and Joe they seemed really involved in a deep conversation. He decided to let it be, he turned back to his food, didn't look to bad in all reality. Taste wise it wasn't as previously appeared to be. As he scrapped his plate, he heard a voice say "**Commander on deck!**" ,at that precise moment an instantaneous unison of sliding chairs and and people standing in attention. Benjamin Mathius, the head honcho on the ship says, "**At ease everyone. As you know we have arrived at our destination and will soon begin landing the teams to start drilling and start installing the gravity teathers. Report to your CO's to get group locations and teams. We start at 08:00:00. Enjoy the rest of your meals, Altman be praised.**" Mathius then turned and moved back to the exit of the cafeteria. John and Oscar muttered, "**Altman be praised.**" Stef turns to them and says, "**Why are you guys all twisted up in that?**" John looked up to Stef and retorted, "**Because our savior Altman has foreseen are tresend into a better life. We must follow through his footsteps to achieve convergence.**" Stef stifled a laugh as she faced back towards her plate with a smile on her face. John seemed rather annoyed by her reaction and shot her a bit of a glare. He'll brush it off, that's why we all are friends. With that Austin got up and said goodbyes to go see his CO.

Austin made his way into the tightly crammed tram and found an open seat. He sat down and the tram shuttered of, he imagined it as a subway back on Earth. He peered at the _Peng_ advertisement on the wall with a sweet looking girl smiling on it with her hair put in a pony tail. It reminded him of someone he knew, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He left the thought and looked at his watch issued by the CEC "**Damn it's already 7:18.**", he muttered. It reminded him of what he wanted to do this morning, maybe his CO would be able to help him out with his questions. His mind drifted back to the _Peng _poster. As the tram continued towards the mining deck, his mind wandered on a few things. He tilted his head back and he drifted into sleep. He was beginning to dream, he saw Annie and Mel. they were in a bit of an overgrown field with a red and white checkered blanket with a basket on top. They were having a picnic, he couldn't remember the last time he actually did that. He reached over and opened the basket and a bright red light shot out of it, the blinding light skewed his vision. He tried to shield his eyes but couldn't, he reached with his other hand and reached towards the basket again. He was suddenly staring at the ceiling of the tram, he had woken up. It had stopped and people were clearing out, so he rose and headed for the exit. What a strange dream that was. He looked back down at his watch, 7:33. What a nap he thought. He slammed into something and stumbled backwards for a moment getting damped by something. A woman's voice muttered "**God damn it..**", she was trying to brush off the liquid spilled on her black shirt. She had black hair that was tucked back into a pony tail. Her face, was smooth in complexion with dimples on both sides of her mouth. Austin was stunned, "**Liz...?**"

The woman looked up and stared for a moment and squinted her eyes "**Austin...?**" She quickly had a smile appear on her face. "**Oh my gosh it really is you!**", she scrambled and hugged him partially as to not get him wet as well while keeping a hand on her mug. Austin did the same, "**I had no idea you were a part of this operation. I thought I had done my research on who was on board.**" ,as he squeezed his chest against hers. "**We all know that you are terrible at research Austin.**" ,she said coyly. "**Well it seems I still have height on you, a full head as usual.**" ,he said as grin formed on his face. They begin walking down the hallway leading to the briefing room. "**It's been too long, how have you been?**" ,Liz asked with herself completely rapped up in the moment as they entered the briefing room. "**We can catch up after we get all this damn settling finished. We will get drinks, on me. Let's get to our seats.**", said Austin as he observed the room filled with chairs in front of a podium. Liz said "**A****lright catch you later.**" ,as she smiled and waved as she walked away. Liz Tamburo, now that was a blast from Austin's past. She and him had an...extended history together. There was a relationship involved at one point, but they decided it was for the best that it didn't' go any further. This was back shortly after high school. That's where they first met, they had been friends for years. Eventually feelings had surfaced and they went for it. Things happened, one thing lead to another and it just feel through. They remained friends afterwards but had lost touch with one another shortly before he met Annie, and the rest is well history.

Austin took his seat and waited for his team to be called for briefing. A man called out "**Team Delta 3, please gather around.**" Austin sat up and walked to the podium. He noticed a man to the side of it with his hands behind his back, then he noticed someone walk up to the podium. H e was absolutely dumb founded, it was Liz. He stood in awe, and apparently couldn't accept the fact that she was his _superior_. It was a bit to take in. She said, "**Alright boys and gals listen up, you will be going down with the initial ground team to start preparations for the colony to install the teathers so be sent down so we can set up shop here at this point...**" she pointed at a spot near some of what appeared to be mountains or hills on a hologram that had appeared in next to her. "**...that is where we would like to be. We plan to start our real operation there about a mile from there here of to the left. The captain would like to have the colony up and stable by 18:00:00. If you have any questions consult your Rig. Be at the Flight Deck at 09:00:00 at docking bay 7. Dismissed.**" When she had finished she shoot him a quick smile and a wink as he made his way to the exit. This was certainly going to be an interesting job.


	2. I

Aboard the_ USG Ishimura_

Austin woke with a quick jolt. As he sat up and silenced his alarm he rubs his hands slowly down his grizzled face. So much for getting up early. He thought about shaving but he decided maybe another day. He hadn't had a bread grown out in some time, he might grow it out a bit. He made his way to the bathroom he ran his fingers through his long, curly blonde hair and yawned. He never really liked shocking it messed with him, it didn't help there was something else in the air even though, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Austin's bags under his eyes were getting darker. He opened the mirror cabinet an retrieved his tooth brush and tooth paste. As he shut the cabinet he realized he looked old for a 32 year old, but hey he isn't trying to impress anyone. He rinsed his tooth paste and was startled by rapping on the door. "**Hurry up you lazy fuck**." yelled John, "**Lets get some grub before the ship us off to this rock. Stef and Oscar are already waiting there for us, so try to move with a little haste, eh?**"With hands clasped on the edges of the sink Austin said "**Alright, Alright I'm coming.**" He waltzed over to his dresser and slipped on a green shirt over his palish body and snapped on his watch. Shook his hand threw his hair and muttered "**Good enough.**"

Austin walked down the corridors of the ship passing filled with busy people making preparations to start the operation. He walked into the large cafeteria and was flagged down by Zach, John, Stef, Oscar and Joe. Austin waved back and got his food from the line, sausage gravy and biscuits. someone must of been having a good day to serve this. Austin sat down in between John and Stef, Oscar and Joe sat across from them. Zach bellowed, "**There's the faggot**." "**Yeah right Zach, we all know you are the guy who sits in his cabin and hope a pretty lady walks by and takes pity on you**.", said Austin with a grin across his face. Stef snapped her attention to Austin and said "**Hey just cause you got a little something something back home doesn't mean you can bash him**." ,With her big smile she turned back and began to eat her food. Austin looked over at Oscar and Joe they seemed really involved in a deep conversation. He decided to let it be, he turned back to his food, didn't look to bad in all reality. Taste wise it wasn't as previously appeared to be. As he scrapped his plate, he heard a voice say "**Commander on deck!**" ,at that precise moment an instantaneous unison of sliding chairs and and people standing in attention. Benjamin Mathius, the head honcho on the ship says, "**At ease everyone. As you know we have arrived at our destination and will soon begin landing the teams to start colonizing. Report to your CO's to get group locations and teams. We start at 08:00:00. Enjoy the rest of your meals, Altman be praised.**" Mathius then turned and moved back to the exit of the cafeteria. John and Oscar muttered, "**Altman be praised.**" Stef turns to them and says, "**Why are you guys all twisted up in that?**" John looked up to Stef and retorted, "**Because our savior Altman has foreseen are tresend into a better life. We must follow through his footsteps to achieve convergence.**" Stef stifled a laugh as she faced back towards her plate with a smile on her face. John seemed rather annoyed by her reaction and shot her a bit of a glare. He'll brush it off, that's why we all are friends. With that Austin got up and said goodbyes to go see his CO.

Austin made his way into the tightly crammed tram and found an open seat. He sat down and the tram shuttered of, he imagined it as a subway back on Earth. He peered at the _Peng_ advertisement on the wall with a sweet looking girl smiling on it with her hair put in a pony tail. It reminded him of someone he knew, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He left the thought and looked at his watch issued by the CEC "**Damn it's already 7:18.**", he muttered. It reminded him of what he wanted to do this morning, maybe his CO would be able to help him out with his questions. His mind drifted back to the _Peng _poster. As the tram continued towards the mining deck, his mind wandered on a few things. He tilted his head back and he drifted into sleep. He was beginning to dream, he saw Annie and Mel. they were in a bit of an overgrown field with a red and white checkered blanket with a basket on top. They were having a picnic, he couldn't remember the last time he actually did that. He reached over and opened the basket and a bright red light shot out of it, the blinding light skewed his vision. He tried to shield his eyes but couldn't, he reached with his other hand and reached towards the basket again. He was suddenly staring at the ceiling of the tram, he had woken up. It had stopped and people were clearing out, so he rose and headed for the exit. What a strange dream that was. He looked back down at his watch, 7:33. What a nap he thought. He slammed into something and stumbled backwards for a moment getting damped by something. A woman's voice muttered "**God damn it..**", she was trying to brush off the liquid spilled on her black shirt. She had black hair that was tucked back into a pony tail. Her face, was smooth in complexion with dimples on both sides of her mouth. Austin was stunned, "**Liz...?**"

The woman looked up and stared for a moment and squinted her eyes "**Austin...?**" She quickly had a smile appear on her face. "**Oh my gosh it really is you!**", she scrambled and hugged him partially as to not get him wet as well while keeping a hand on her mug. Austin did the same, "**I had no idea you were a part of this operation. I thought I had done my research on who was on board.**" ,as he squeezed his chest against hers. "**We all know that you are terrible at research Austin.**" ,she said coyly. "**Well it seems I still have height on you, a full head as usual.**" ,he said as grin formed on his face. They begin walking down the hallway leading to the briefing room. "**It's been too long, how have you been?**" ,Liz asked with herself completely rapped up in the moment as they entered the briefing room. "**We can catch up after we get all this damn settling finished. We will get drinks, on me. Let's get to our seats.**", said Austin as he observed the room filled with chairs in front of a podium. Liz said "**A****lright catch you later.**" ,as she smiled and waved as she walked away. Liz Tamburo, now that was a blast from Austin's past. She and him had an...extended history together. There was a relationship involved at one point, but they decided it was for the best that it didn't' go any further. This was back shortly after high school. That's where they first met, they had been friends for years. Eventually feelings had surfaced and they went for it. Things happened, one thing lead to another and it just feel through. They remained friends afterwards but had lost touch with one another shortly before he met Annie, and the rest is well history.

Austin took his seat and waited for his team to be called for briefing. A man called out "**Team Delta 3, please gather around.**" Austin sat up and walked to the podium. He noticed a man to the side of it with his hands behind his back, then he noticed someone walk up to the podium. H e was absolutely dumb founded, it was Liz. He stood in awe, and apparently couldn't accept the fact that she was his _superior_. It was a bit to take in. She said, "**Alright boys and gals listen up, you will be going down with the initial ground team to start preparations for the colony blocks to be sent down so we can set up shop here at this point...**" she pointed at a spot near some of what appeared to be mountains or hills on a hologram that had appeared in next to her. "**...that is where we would like to be. We plan to start our real operation there about a mile from there here of to the left. The captain would like to have the colony up and stable by 18:00:00. If you have any questions consult your Rig. Be at the Flight Deck at 09:00:00 at docking bay 7. Dismissed.**" When she had finished she shoot him a quick smile and a wink as he made his way to the exit. This was certainly going to be an interesting job.


	3. II

Aboard the _USG Ishimura_

John woke with ease as usual. He turned off the alarm and proceeded to do his routine of morning workouts. He started with 100 push ups and then started to do 300 curl ups. He was just now starting to break a sweat as he did 100 pull ups. He sat on his bed with drops of sweat pouring slowly down his face, he used a hand towel to wipe it dry. He got up and put the towel over his shoulder and went into the bathroom and turned on the water for his shower. As the water came to temperature steam consumed the room, he stripped and stepped in. This was his average morning day in and day out. there's nothing wrong with routine whatsoever. Although thought to himself,_ Is this really all I'm going to do forever? No there's definitely more to it._

Ah its all whatever anyway, he turned off the shower after he finished cleaning himself. He stepped out slowly and wiped the mirror clean of condensation and stared into his own eyes. Even as he was, he could see the scars across his chest from his left breast to his lower abs. Then his head began to hurt, it was eating at him, and it was killing him from the inside. John grabbed his head and shook it.

_No, there's work to do_.

He opened the mirror cabinet and retrieved two pill bottles. One read Zoloft (50 mg), the other read Clozapine (12.5 mg). Took a small cardboard cup, filled it with water and took two Zoloft and one Clozapine. He when proceeded to shave and brush his teeth. He went to his dresser and got dressed, snapped on his belt with holster attached. John reached under his pillow and retrieved his service pistol, and held it in his palm flattened to see it. The cold steel was a reminder everyday could be bad, not because he's security, but that anything could happen out here. They were a long way from home and they could be snuffed out without a notice for weeks. Well he decided he should see everybody before they get started with the colonization. He should tell his psychiatrist about his recent thoughts and feelings, after breakfast he decided. He holstered his gun and left his room, but before he left he looked at a photo pinned on his door. It was his wife, he smiled, unpinned it and slipped it into his pocket and left.

He walked down the hallway with a steady pace, there wasn't many people up quite yet. It made the hallways feel darker and eerie. He turned a corner and saw half a man on ladder, with his other half in a vent shaft. John walked around the worker casually looking at it as he passed the scene. The floor clanked with his steps from his boots and finally made it to a door. The label on the door read _148 Dull, Zach. _


End file.
